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Background: Therapeutic plants are an important source of medicine, and various active compounds were isolated from the plants. As per the Indian traditional system of medicine, many medicinal plants have been used for the management of various health disorders, including diabetes mellitus. Diabetes mellitus is a non-communicable disease that is also referred to as a lifestyle disorder that requires modifications in diet, exercise, and behavior along with medication. The present research work was designed to evaluate the impact of multiherbal formulations on blood sugar and body weight in albino rats. Three different formulations were prepared from five plant extracts (Allium sativum, Azadirachta indica, Phyllanthus emblica, Tamarindus indica, and Zingiber officinale). After daily administration of multiherbal formulations at a dose of 300 mg/kg b.wt. and the standard drug (Glibenclamide) at a dose of 5 mg/kg b.wt. for 15, 30, and 45 days, respectively, blood samples were collected from each rat and analyzed according to standard techniques (parameters). Blood sugar and body weight were measured.
Results: There was a significant (p<0.01) increase in the blood sugar levels and a significant (p<0.01) decrease in the body weight in diabetic rats when compared with normal control. However, treatment of alloxan-injected rats with three different formulations significantly (p<0.01) decreased blood sugar levels and significantly (p<0.01) increased body weight as compared to the standard group and normal control group.
Conclusion: The present study made us conclude that among the three different formulations, formulation-2 (Allium sativum, Azadirachta indica, and Zingiber officinale) was more effective as compared to the other two formulations, exhibited an antihyperglycemic effect, and also possessed beneficial effects in diabetic rats.
Key words: active compounds, antidiabetic property, formulations, body weight
